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The boy accused of stabbing a bishop as he delivered a sermon had been mentally 'poisoned' in the lead-up to the alleged attack, Muslims who prayed with him have claimed. The 16-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, allegedly lunged at Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel, 53, and stabbed him in the head at Christ The Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley, in Sydney's west, at about 7pm on Monday. Father Isaac Royel, who serves in the Assyrian ministry at St Shimun Bar Sabbae and St Mary Cathedral, was among many parishioners who attempted to intervene - and as a result...

An Assyrian Orthodox Church bishop who was stabbed during a livestreamed church service in Sydney had spoken critically about Islam in a video recorded four months ago. Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was preaching at Christ The Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley in Sydney's west just after 7pm on Monday when a 16-year-old boy walked up to the altar and allegedly stabbed him multiple times. On a separate video of the aftermath of the alleged terror attack, the boy said in Arabic 'If they didn't insult my prophet, I wouldn't have come here. If he didn't involve himself in my religion,...

Yesterday, we reported that Mark Driscoll was booted from the stage by the conference host, Pastor John Lindell, who interrupted him and told him he was “done.” Driscoll was criticizing the conference for having a male stripper perform on a stripper pole while ripping his shirt off and dancing in a sexually charged manner. Unfortunately, but not unsurprisingly, Driscoll later returned to the stage with Lindell to apologize and say that he should have handled his grievances privately—a complete and total cop-out. But also at this conference was a completely ridiculous and absurd stunt. The stunt included a person driving...

A high court decision to uphold a prayer ban at one of the highest performing state schools in England has been welcomed by Rishi Sunak and Kemi Badenoch, who described it as a “victory against activists trying to subvert our public institutions”. The case against Michaela community school in Brent, north-west London, which is famous for its strict discipline code, was brought by a Muslim pupil, known only as TTT in court proceedings, who claimed the ban was discriminatory and breached her right to religious freedom. In a written judgment handed down on Tuesday, Mr Justice Linden dismissed the pupil’s...

If one REJECTS this ETERNAL and DIVINE perspective for a subjective earthly one, that one will go insane with all the injustice that dominates our present world, and that one will absolutely loose their mind trying to come to grips with the reality of our day. The question by many Jews today is why is anti-Semitism so rampant and where is the G-d of Israel to intercede on the Jews behalf? My dear friends G-d greatly cares about the Jew. Israel is the apple of His eye, but tragically G-d is not the Apple of Israel's eye (as a whole...

In light of the Russian invasion into Ukraine and Russia’s massing of troops on the Israeli border in Syria at present; we can see before our very eyes - in this EXPONENTIAL technological age - that Bible prophecy's end time last days stage is being fully set; and Gog's invasion alliance being fully established as they all prepare for their invasion into the land of Israel (Ezek. 38-39)! The Ukraine is on the very eastern border of Magog as historians and history maps tell us! Is it not sobering and very curious that Israel, even when they are totally out...

Daily Readings from the USCCBSo they said to Jesus, “Sir, give us this bread always.” Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.” John 6:34–35Imagine if you were to never grow hungry or never thirst again. On a natural level, this would be an interesting reality. Of course, if you never had physical hunger or thirst, then you may never enjoy the delight of good food and drink. So why would anyone want to lose out on such delights? Of course, Jesus was...

In recent years, the fertility gap by religion has widened to unprecedented levels.... With birth rates at just 1.8 or 1.9 children per woman, versus a conversion-adjusted “replacement rate” of 2.44, religious communities in America will tend to decline by about 25 percent in each generation... Virtually 100 percent of the decline in fertility in the United States from 2012 to 2019 can be explained through a combination of two factors: growing numbers of religious women leaving the faith, along with declining birth rates among the nonreligious.... Since 2002, the share of reproductive-age women who attended church weekly or more...

Pray For The Peace of Jerusalem (4/16/24)[Prayer]The Names and Titles of God (My Strength and My Redeemer) Psalm19:1414 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.King James Version________________________God Bless America.ML/LTOS

16 April 2024 Tuesday of the 3rd week of Eastertide Saint Bernadette Catholic Church, Arlington, VA Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: White. Year: B(II).First readingActs 7:51-8:1 ©'Lord Jesus, receive my spirit'Stephen said to the people, the elders and the scribes: ‘You stubborn people, with your pagan hearts and pagan ears. You are always resisting the Holy Spirit, just as your ancestors used to do. Can you name a single prophet your ancestors never persecuted? In the past they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, and now you have become his betrayers, his murderers. You who had...

Join with fellow FREEPERS to pray for AMERICA: For those in Authority in Government, Family, Military, Business, Healthcare, Education, Churches, and the Media. I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone: for kings and all those in authority that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. ~ 1 Timothy 2:1-2 Religion Forum Threads labeled [Prayer] are closed to debate of any kind. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear . . . (Ps. 46:1-2)

“When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son!’” (John 19:26). No matter what trials we have, it is still possible to be concerned for others’ needs. As the time for Jesus’ death grew closer, His mother’s well-being was on His heart and mind. His concern is consistent with what we have already seen in our brief study of some of Jesus’ last words on the cross—our Lord was faithful in ministry no matter what the cost. Here the object of Jesus’ focus shifted to a...

David Hughes, the president and CEO of C̶h̶u̶r̶c̶h̶ Goat Farm by the Glades in Coral Springs, Florida, has successfully turned the organization into a highly profitable carnival act. Rather than providing spiritual sustenance through the gospel, Hughes is preoccupied with putting on a spectacle. Week after week, we have reported that this church, which remains in fellowship with the Southern Baptist Convention and the powers that be, blasphemes God with its worldly performances and secular music. This past weekend, Church by the Glades opens a new sermon series on “Family” by worshiping to a popular anthem that is used to...

The bridge collapse in Baltimore has ground many businesses to a halt, leaving municipal leaders scrambling to figure out what the next steps should be. But that's not the only thing collapsing in Charm City. After years of planning and adjustments, the Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore is also launching some major adjustments. In what is being described as a "retooling of operations," the Catholic Church is preparing to consolidate the number of parishes in the city and the surrounding suburbs from 61 to 21. In other words, there will be barely one-third the number of worship centers for Catholics in...

Good early evening to you Beloved, Dear Lord Jesus please Bless and Heal in return all who have lifted my dear husband John up in prayer for his healing from this thing that keeps attacking him. IN JESUS NAME, IT WILL STOP! Tomorrow AM he is scheduled for bloodwork, and his doctor will determine what to do from results of that. He is up and about, good spirits. He will not have to fast for the tests, a good help. O thank you so very very much again, my Dear Beloved FRiends in Christ Jesus!

John 6:22–29Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus tells the crowd, which he just fed, to believe in him and relate to him personally. Why is this so hard? Well, it is intellectually counterintuitive. Why would this one figure, this Jesus, be the one and only? Why should I choose to relate to him and not the numerous other religious leaders and philosophers? Are all other religious people just lost or misguided? Wouldn’t it just be easier to relate to Jesus’ ideas and principles, to imitate his style of life? Yes, indeed it would, but that’s not what he says. Perhaps we...

Beloved FRiends, my dear husband is having a rectal bleeding event again. I am awaiting his gastroenterologist’s callback as to go ahead and bring him to hospital to be evaluated. It is best that his doctor send word to the ED to expect him, it will keep them from setting him aside in the waiting area instead of taking him straight back into triage / bed. He is at the moment exhaustedly sleeping and I am keeping a close eye on him. Asking that The Lord Jesus Heal my husband of this malady that I think is now peptic in...

Sydney has been shaken by another stabbing attack with a priest and worshippers assailed by a knife-wielding man Monday in a suburban church. Bishop Mari Emmanuel was preaching a live-streamed sermon at Christ The Good Shepherd Church in the city’s west when a man dressed in black approached the altar and allegedly stabbed the Christian Orthodox priest multiple times. Horrifying footage of the incident, which was being broadcast live on the church’s YouTube page, shows Bishop Emmanuel look up in astonishment as the attacker suddenly rains down blows on his face and head, news.com.au reports. The local Sydney-based outlet goes...

Scottie Scheffler dedicated his second Masters win in three years to God, declaring that “victory was secure on the cross” as he secured the victory at Augusta National Golf Club on Sunday. "I was sitting around with my buddies this morning, I was a bit overwhelmed," the 27-year-old said Sunday after becoming the 10th golfer in history to win two green jackets in three years. "I told them, 'I wish I didn't want to win as badly as did I or as badly as I do.' I think it would make the mornings easier. I love winning. I hate losing....

While the number of Catholics worldwide slightly increased from 2021 to 2022, new statistics show that the number of priests continues to decline. The Vatican released the 2024 Pontifical Yearbook and the 2022 Statistical Yearbook of the Church earlier this month. Edited by the Vatican Secretariat of State's Central Statistical Office, the publications are being distributed in bookstores and published by the Vatican Printing Press.The publications highlight "statistical data to assess the main trends affecting the evolution of the Catholic Church worldwide," reports Vatican News.The latest edition of the Statistical Yearbook shows the number of baptized Catholics in the world...